Flash-light device



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Patented Apr. 29, 1924. f

,UNITED STATES krraul. c. SMALLEY, or NEWARK,` NEW JERSEY.

FLALSH-LIGHT DEVICE.

Application tiled March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,185.

To all whom z 't may conc-em A Be it known that I, PAUL C. SMALLEY, a citizen of the United States, residingfin the city of Newark, inthe county lof Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flash- Light Devices, of which they following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to rwhich it pertainsto make, construct,=and use'the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference thereon, forming a part of this specification.

`The present invention has particular relation to the arrangement or construction whereby the circuit of a portablev electric lamp is closedfor opened` at will in order that the light may be usedy as `an intermittent ash,or a continuous light. n

The principal objectofthe invention is the revision of means of an inexpensive, simp e and reliable character and capable of convenient application to any form ofportable electric lamp whereby the lamp may be lighted or extinguished.

` -These objects VI perform in the preferred- `embodiment of my invention, which I have illustrated in the y' accompanying drawings,

to which reference is had, and :in .which similar reference characters indicate corres nding parts in the several views.

n the drawings,

Fi 1 represents a side elevation of a porta le lamp showing the circuit closer in plan.

Fig. the portable lamp takenon line {r2-.21` in Fig. 1 showing the circuit closer in section.

Figures 3 and 4 re resent respectively a plan view and aside e evation of a modifiedA orm of spring.

The casing of the lamp is shown at 1, the same being made of insulating material and provided with a threaded metal end 2 which 1s applied to the exterior of the casing 1 at the front end, and a similar threaded metal end 3 which is applied to the exterior of the casing at the rear end thereof. The batteries are shown at 4 and are held in place by the cap 5 which screws onto the threaded end 3, and, preferably, by the spring'. The lamp 7 screws into the reflector 8 behind the lens 9 in a well known manner; the whole being vsecured by a threaded thimble 10 which screws onto the threaded metal end 2 at the upper end of the lamp casing 1.

2 represents a long ritudinaly section of` As usual in these devices one terminal of the lam 7 makes contact at 11 with one termina of the battery while the yother termlnal of theV lamp is electrically connected to the metal reflector 8. The circuit closing means comprises two portions, one of which is composed of a fixed metal stud 12 riveted to the exterior of the casing 1 and kept in permanent electric connection with one terminal ofthe lamp by means of the conductor 13 and the reflector 8. The conductor 13 as .illustrated in the drawings is secured to the interior of the lamp casing 1 by means of said stud and a similar stud 14. The usualfinsulating material 15 surrounds the battery cells and prevents their making contact with the conductor 13 or other metal parts projecting into the casing 1.

The other portion of the circuit closer comprises a spring 16 located within a suitable metal box or casing 17. The box or casing 17 together with the spring 16 is fastened to the exterior of the Casing 1 preferably by a Stud 18, said stud 18 also serving to secure the conductor 19 within the interior of the casing 1. Said box 17 together with the spring 16 is maintained in permanent electric connection by means of the said conductor 19 with the threaded end 3 and therefore through the cap 5 and spring 6, with the zinc terminal of the battery. Interposed between the top side of the spring 16 and the inner under side of the boxr or casing 17 and frictionally 'and slidably arranged within said casing is a spring 20 provided with upturned ends, and secured to the box or casing 17 by means of a button 21 the shank of which projects through a slot'22 in one end of thecasing. To the end of said shank the spring is secured in any desired or convenient manner.

The spring 16 as clearly indicated in the drawings, approximately midway of its length, is provided with an offset portion 25 so that the front end of the spring in its normal position is located above the stud 12. The front end of the box or casing 17 is provided with an aperture 23, the metal surrounding the aperture being forced downwardly into the box or casing and loosely located in said aperture is a button 24 which normally rests upon the top of the forward end of the spring 16 and the shank of which projects through the aperture 23 in the said casing; the end of the shank preferably lying below or in close proximity to the top of the casing, so as to obviate the liability of accidental closing of the circuit when the device is carried in the pocket of the user. The spring is also provided with two upturned ends in order that when it is secured in the box or casing 17, as previously described, the ends cause an upward pressure against the inner under side of the box or casing 17 which develops sufficient friction to hol-:1 the spring in open-circuit condition.

The spring shown in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings di'ers slightly from the spring 16 shown in Fig. 2, by being provided with a pressed out portion 26, said pressed out portion 26 being integral with the spring and which is intended to project through the aperture 23 in the box or casing 17, the said construction thereby dispensing with the button 24 which as illustrated in F ig. 2 of the drawings normally rests upon the top of the forward end of the spring 16, and the back of which projects through the aperture 23 in said casing.

When it is desired `to operate lthe lamp and light is desired for long periods, the circuit is closed, and may be kept closed without eifort on the part of the user, by

moving the button 21 with the attached spring 20 forward in the direction indicated by the arrow, until the upturned end of the spring 20 engages with the offset portion 25 of the spring 16 thereby causing the free end of the spring 16 to contact with the stud 12 and in that manner closing the lamp circuit.

lVhen it is desired to operate the vlamp and light is desired for momentary or short periods as for ordinary push-button use it is only necessary to press the pushbutton 2e in and hold it in so long as the light is required.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a circui-t closing means, in which I have reduced the actual number of parts to a minimum; that when assembled, the possibilit of the parts becoming separated by care ess manipulation has also been reduced to a minimum. The parts are of such shape as to lend themselves readily to manufacture by the use of suitable punches and dies from ordinary sheel metal.

Experience has demonstrated that the organization above described is a practical and eficient one for accomplishing the ends sought by this invention. The construction may, however, be varied in detail by those skilled in such matters, without departing from the invention. I desire to claim the device as broadly as the state ot' the art will permit, and with no limitations other than such as ma be expressed in the claim as that may be a lowed.

I claim:

A switch for portable electric lights comprising in combination with the light casing, of a plate fixed on said casing, said plate being raised to produce a chamber having its outer wall parallel with said case, a fiat spring Ahaving out-turned ends slidably presented to the wall, a button fixed on said spring to project through a slot in the wall and by which said spring may be actuated, a spring Contact spaced from said spring, said Contact being bent to present its main elements in two different planes, one of the elements being fixed to said casing and the other reaching to the front end of the chamber to be engaged by one of the out-turned ends of said spring whereby it may be flexed to circuit closin position, and a button projecting throug an opening in the chamber wall,rsai d button being integral with the adjacent end of said spring.

This specification signed and witnessed this 25th day of March, 191.9.

PAUL C. sMALLEY.

Witnesses:

FREDK C. FISCHER, FERDINAND NoLL. 

